When I think about the future of birth, I think about the kind of world I want my children (and your children) to grow up in.
A world where birth is safe.
Where women are trusted.
Where our bodies are honored.
That’s the world Birth Detroit is creating, and it’s why I’m proud to stand beside them as a founding Sustainer Circle member.
Who is Birth Detroit?
Birth Detroit is Michigan’s first freestanding birth center led by Black midwives. Founded on the vision that every person, every family, and every community deserves safe, quality, loving care through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
(A freestanding birth center is a facility that provides comprehensive, family-centered maternity care, independent from a hospital. Birth Detroit has a professional and supportive relationship with Henry Ford Hospital - Detroit when transfer of care is medically appropriate.)
Their model of care is community-rooted, culturally informed, and deeply loving. They’re not just transforming birth experiences — they’re transforming systems, reclaiming dignity, and restoring power to women and families who have too often been overlooked or disrespected by the healthcare system.
For me, as someone who has spent nearly two decades guiding women through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond — I know how sacred, powerful, and vulnerable this time is. Every mother deserves to be held in safety and respect as she births life into the world.
My connection to Birth Detroit
As a mom and prenatal yoga guide, I’ve witnessed firsthand how much mothers need (and deserve) safe, loving, respectful care.
Nicole White, co-founder of Birth Detroit, was gracious to be my birth doula when I birthed my daughter, Lilly. At the time — and still today — Nicole was a homebirth midwife. I was stacking the deck to reclaim my dignity and have an empowering birth experience by hiring a homebirth midwife to be my doula, while birthing at U of M with the midwives.
And I did get what I envisioned.
Over the years, I watched Nicole share her adventures of offering midwifery care in third world countries, and then noticed she was back in Detroit, creating a birth center with three other incredible women. I knew I had to support in whatever way I could.
In 2020, I began volunteering and joined their first Capital Campaign — which successfully raised over $4 million in just three years. Today, I’m a proud board member and keeper of records for Birth Detroit.
And in 2025, I joined the Sustainer’s Circle because I believe in a world where every woman has the right to birth safely and be honored in her power.
What is the Sustainer’s Circle?
The Sustainer’s Circle is a community of monthly donors who give between $10 and $100 (or more) each month to Birth Detroit’s Endowment Fund.
This monthly giving builds a foundation of sustainability and strength — ensuring that Birth Detroit’s mission continues for generations to come.
It’s not just a donation; it’s an act of collective care.
Each contribution directly supports:
- Accessible midwifery care for all families
- Training and support for Black midwives and birth workers
- Community education and outreach rooted in love and cultural safety
- The long-term sustainability of Michigan’s first Black midwife-led birth center
About the Endowment Fund
Birth Detroit was chosen to receive an extraordinary gift — the opportunity to create a $1.5 million endowed fund through the Michigan Central Station Children’s Foundation.
This initiative provides a two-year cohort experience focused on building long-term durability and permanence in the community.
Here’s what that looks like in action:
- $500,000 in seed funding to build a permanent endowment
- The opportunity to earn an additional $500,000 in matching funds
- Together, this will create a $1.5 million endowment by 2026
This endowment ensures Birth Detroit’s vision of equitable, safe, and loving care continues, not just today, but for generations to come.
But they can’t do it alone.
They need the help of supporters, of us, to reach this ambitious goal.
Why I give
When I give to Birth Detroit, I’m not just giving money.
I’m investing in a future where mothers and babies are cared for with love.
I’m helping create a world where my both my daughter's and son's generation can birth with dignity, safety, and joy.
I believe in a world where women are trusted.
Where birth is honored as sacred.
Where love, not fear, guides care.
That’s what it means to be part of the Sustainer's Circle.
Join me
Becoming a Sustainer's Circle member is simple — and every dollar truly counts.
- Visit birthdetroit.com/donate for the Endowment Fund
- Select "Donate Monthly"
- Choose a monthly amount that feels aligned
Your contribution directly supports the Endowment Fund, creating a permanent legacy of birth justice and community care.
Together, we can ensure that safe, loving birth care remains accessible for all families — for good.